Poll: Even NRA members want universal background checks

A new poll released by NBC and the New York Times has discovered that a huge number of Americans support universal background checks for people purchasing firearms – including nearly all households with at least one NRA member.

An overwhelming majority of people living in a household with a National Rifle Association member support universal background checks for anyone who wants to purchase a gun, one of several proposals President Barack Obama has put forth in the wake of the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn, a new poll shows.

Among those living in a household with an NRA member, 85 percent support universal background checks, according to a CBS/New York Times poll out Thursday, which was conducted before Obama announced his proposals.

Overall, 92 percent of Americans back universal background checks, 7 percent oppose and the remaining 1 percent are undecided, according to the poll, which has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. Among Republicans, 89 percent support background checks and 93 percent of Democrats favor the checks.

Pollsters telephoned 1,110 adults between Jan. 11 through Jan. 15.

For those unfamiliar, the National Rifle Association (or NRA) has been extremely vocal in opposition to new gun regulations President Obama promised to put in place.

I’m not sure where the NRA leadership stands on the question of universal background checks, but the majority of their members think they’re a good idea. The NRA should support it too, since the organization is meant to support safe and responsible gun ownership, and selling to someone with a criminal background is the opposite of both.

In my opinion, universal background checks make total sense. I’m hoping Republicans in Washington will see that it does too.